Here’s the Hard Truth About Using Safety Management Software at the Workplace in the UK

While safety management software usage is on the increase, it is surprising the number of workers that won’t protect themselves first

Occupational health solutions have improved exponentially in the last three decades or so. From EHS management best practices to safety management software solutions developed for specific case use or industries, health and safety at the workplace has improved.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released a 2018 report indicating the number of on-the-job incidents had reduced exponentially since the late 1970s.

But the number of fatal injuries has remained ‘broadly flat’ since 2014 at around 135 to 144 in the period 2017/2018.

However, the HSE fined Great Britain companies to the tune of GBP 38.8 million in 2015/2016 compared to GBP 18.1 million in 2014/2015, which more than double.

Does this mean UK businesses are breaching health and safety laws?

But many more could be providing inadequate health and safety procedures to employees.

Yet, employees could also be acting counterintuitively by not following already laid out health and safety procedures.

In 2017, WorkMobile conducted a study that enveloped 2,000 employees across different industries in the UK. The results were chilling at best.

Picture this:

About 65% of the respondents admitted to not having received any operations manual from their employer on starting the job—whether it was high-risk or less. Many businesses had also skimped over training their employees on precisely what to do in case a hazardous incident occurred at work.

As many as 52% of respondents were not sure what to do next in case of such a situation happening.

Wait, there is more.

More than half of men respondents worked in a hazardous job compared to 18% women.

Sadly, 61% of the men said their employer had not provided them with ‘sufficient’ health and safety information to help keep them safe—including providing an operations manual explaining safety procedures of the company.

About 70% of employees aged between 45 and 65 had not read the operations manual provided by their employer as well as 44% of younger employees between the ages of 18 and 34. A Rave Mobile Safety survey also highlighted a similar concern.

Furthermore, 27% of young employees had put themselves in danger by not following safety procedures correctly as well as 8% of older people.

Safety Management Software Usage in the UK

Safety management software usage was also wanting with many companies still using paperwork and more traditional means of managing risks and incidents, updating safety policies and procedures, disseminating insurance claims advice, and safety training.

That, when 45% of employees are less willing to point out risky behavior to their superiors or even peers for fear of ridicule, according to an Ante Group EHS study.

Employees that have an anonymous reporting means can contribute health and safety ideas, become more engaged, and feel more motivated by their employer’s concern. And safety management software can create such an open, yet anonymous channel to help employees voice their health and safety management concerns in real-time.

How is safety management at your workplace, and do you use safety software management practices to improve your health and safety KPIs?

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